M.E. (myalgic encephalomyelitis/encephalopathy)
is a chronic, fluctuating illness which can affect both the nervous
and the immune systems. The most common symptoms include severe exhaustion,
muscle pain and problems with concentration and memory. M.E. is also
known as CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) and PVFS (post viral fatigue
syndrome).

The worst affected sufferers can be bedbound for
years and although many people do recover, the illness never really
leaves them and they may suffer a relapse unless they take care
of their general health and well-being.

There are thought to be around a quarter of a million
people in the UK with M.E. Although the illness usually seems to
occur between the mid twenties and mid forties a signficant proportion
of sufferers are children or teenagers.

In many cases, but not all, the illness appears to
start with a viral infection from which the sufferer effectively
never recovers - hence the name PVFS. It also seems to occur
frequently in temperamentally high-achievers who have pushed themselves
for years to the detriment of their health. They often also have
a long history of minor ailments and heavy antibiotic use.

After many years when M.E. sufferers were dismissed
as hypochondriacs suffering from 'yuppie flu', the illness is finally
gaining recognition in medical circles while new research suggests
that people with ME or CFS may be genetically less able to cope
with infections, trauma, injury etc than the general population.